Thorn demands total effort from Qld Reds

Brad Thorn admits he'd have felt "embarrassed" if he was a Queensland Reds player after some of their limp performances in 2017.

Thorn, who represented Australia and New Zealand in a storied 22-year professional career in league and union, said there wasn't much worse than receiving feedback from supporters who felt their team didn't leave it all out on the park.

That's exactly what he'd heard around the traps last season, after the Reds won just four games in Super Rugby and regularly tested the loyalty of their long-suffering fanbase.

"For me personally, as a player... that would embarrass me," Thorn told reporters on Sunday ahead of his first season as Reds coach.

"That would hurt me, and I couldn't tolerate that.

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Rotorua International Stadium - Friday May 4th, 7:35 am

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AAMI Park - Friday May 4th, 9:45 am

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Westpac Stadium - Saturday May 5th, 7:35 am

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Brookvale Oval - Saturday May 5th, 9:45 am

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DHL Newlands - Saturday May 5th, 1:05 pm

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Kings Park Stadium - Saturday May 5th, 3:15 pm

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Eden Park - Friday May 11th, 7:35 am

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Prince Chichibu Memorial Stadium - Saturday May 12th, 3:05 am

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AMI Stadium - Saturday May 12th, 5:15 am

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Forsyth Barr Stadium - Saturday May 12th, 7:35 am

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GIO Stadium - Saturday May 12th, 9:45 am

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DHL Newlands - Saturday May 12th, 1:05 pm

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Loftus Versfeld - Saturday May 12th, 3:15 pm

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Westpac Stadium - Friday May 18th, 7:35 am

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Mong Kok Stadium - Saturday May 19th, 5:15 am

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Eden Park - Saturday May 19th, 7:35 am

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Allianz Stadium - Saturday May 19th, 9:45 am

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Kings Park Stadium - Saturday May 19th, 1:05 pm

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Emirates Airlines Park - Saturday May 19th, 3:15 pm

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Estadio Jose Amalfitani - Saturday May 19th, 9:40 pm

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AMI Stadium - Friday May 25th, 7:35 am

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AAMI Park - Friday May 25th, 9:45 am

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FMG Stadium Waikato - Saturday May 26th, 7:35 am

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Suncorp Stadium - Saturday May 26th, 9:45 am

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DHL Newlands - Saturday May 26th, 3:15 pm

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Forsyth Barr Stadium - Friday June 1st, 7:35 am

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FMG Stadium Waikato - Saturday June 2nd, 7:35 am

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Suncorp Stadium - Saturday June 2nd, 9:45 am

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RFK Stadium - Saturday June 2nd, 9:00 pm

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GIO Stadium - Sunday June 3rd, 6:05 am

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ANZ National Stadium, Suva - Friday June 8th, 11:00 pm

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"I'm not saying that was all the time, but there were some comments there.

"People are going to pay hard-earned cash to support your team.

"At the least, they want to see you competing - on every play, for the full 80 minutes or beyond.

Fortunately, the early signs are that change is indeed coming at Ballymore under the new hard-line Thorn regime.

The Reds were the best-performing Australian team at the Brisbane Tens, upsetting the Chiefs in the quarter-finals with a team short on big names but packed with the sort of blossoming young talents in whom Thorn is placing his faith.

Many of them, like Izaia Perese, Taniela Tupou and Hamish Stewart were part of his Queensland Country side that won the NRC last year after finishing bottom in the season prior.

"They've been used to playing in finals in the last couple of years," Thorn said.

"It doesn't matter if it's tens or flipping a coin, they want to compete and they felt good having the Queensland jersey on, they felt good playing in front of their home crowd.

"They put some stuff out there. I think the fans enjoyed (it)."

The Reds take on the Fiji Warriors on Thursday in their final pre-season trial before facing the Melbourne Rebels in their Super Rugby opener on February 23.